Niner Bikes
RIP 9 (new)
29er Full Suspension

Product Description

The new RIP 9 gets a slacker head angle, a small boost in its rear-wheel travel, and its dual-link CVA linkage has been reconfigured to allow for an ISCG chainguide mount. The frame has been strengthened throughout to fulfill the requirements of all-mountain pinners, but it is reportedly a half-pound lighter (less than seven pounds for a medium-sized frame). Niner says that the weight reduction is largely due to a new forming process that uses a heated mold and super-heated compressed air to shape its aluminum tubes. The process is said to produce more consistent wall thickness and thus the tubes can be made thinner than those shaped using conventional hydro-forming methods. Niner configured the RIP 9's frame geometry to handle forks with travel raging from 120 millimeters to 140 millimeters, and although the rear-wheel travel is still limited to 125 millimeters, experience with similar 29ers indicates that (in most situations) a big-wheel 120-millimeter-travel chassis levels terrain similar to a 140-millimeter-travel 26-inch bike.

I changed my 26" bike after many years due to lack of riding, and I upgraded to a RIP 9 XT build. I must say that the bike is amazing and the feel is great, I always feel in control of the situation and when the trail gets nasty the only thing I must do is release the great XT brakes and the bike runs over the rough terrain with confidence.
One thing I noticed right away was the plushness, linearity and feel of the Rockshox suspension, most people have told me the downside of RS and how Fox is superior. I must say, I think both suspensions are great and that the progressiveness of the RS is better than the Fox in my opinion. I would have purchased the bike wether the suspension was Fox or RS.

I ride AM/Trail and I think the switch to 29" suits me, I get more traction uphill and its easier to climb in rough terrain. The ride downhill is smoother, more relax, and more confident than a 26". The increment in travel to 125/130mm (R/F) for the 2014 model made a difference in my purchasing choice since I ride rough trails.

The bike feels light and natural in the air and its easy to maneuver jumps.

I tried a Yeti SB95 XT before I decided to purchase the RIP and I have to say that they are both amazing bikes. In my opinion the RIP is a better all rounder, better climbing without loosing too much ground in the downhill. May also require less maintenance than the SB95. For 2014 the RIP 9 Build Kit has 10mm longer travel upfront and 2mm shorter on the back than the SB95.

Weaknesses: More colors available? Kind of like the look of the old RIP a little better, I guess...nitpicking here.

Bottom Line:

I bought this bike to replace my old RIP, which I was able to sell at a good price 6 months after buying it. This bike has all of the strengths of the old RIP, and I think it's a bit better at everything, across the board. It's lighter, it's stiffer, it pedals better, it descends better, and is at home in many different types of terrain. I'm setting PRs on 2,000ft climbs - smoother or techy, doesn't matter- and it's loads of fun in my local bike park, though the park is on the tamer side.

As my riding progresses, I'm leaning more and more towards bikes whose strengths lie on the downhill side. This is not that bike - it's very well balanced, and definitely the right bike for 90% of what I ride: steep, techy or smooth ascents followed by rocky, rutted, high and slow speed descents. Its weight (mine's about 27 lbs.) makes it easier to maneuver than the previous RIP, especially on slow, technical climbs and descents. Perhaps the only bike I might give this bike up for would be the new WFO, set to be announced in a few weeks' time, though that's only if there's no big difference in pedaling.

Bike Setup: For reference, my bike is set up 1x10 with X0 and a 32t Wolf Tooth ring, 140mm Pike, Reverb, X0 Trail brakes (perhaps the weak link on the bike, though not nearly as bad as Avid's other brake offerings), and I9 Trail Torch wheels. Love the setup.